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Las Vegas Aces
Teams of the NLF Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are a team about as controversial as is the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Each and every season, Tading is basically forced into analyzing every aspect of this team, and for good reason. Vegas is the gambling capital of the U.S, so naturally that factor alone almost guranteed the city wouldn't get a team. Their background certainly doesn't lack any controversy. When Jim Tading and the newly-established NLF Board of Directors sat together in November of 2012 to discuss which cities to consider giving a franchise, they had a few clear-cut places in mind, such as Dallas, Pittsburgh, and New York. Along with a few hopefuls with no BFL teams, such as Virginia Beach, Honululu, and a long-term goal in London. But one of the last cities discussed, was Las Vegas, Nevada. There were a barrage of reasons not to even think about it, but two main reasons ultimately lead to the NLF Candidacy Poll being released in Las Vegas anyway. One, was the immdiate marketing opportunities, or in other words,' the city's potential to bring the NLF a huge amount of money'. Two, was to add a immediate difference from the BFL, who claimed that even back in 1975, when the BFL began operations, that adding a team to Las Vegas, Nevada was "an absolutely outrageous idea that the BFL would never consider". '''It was those two reasons pointed out to Tading by the Board, that he says ultimately persuaded him to release the poll there. The results came back in early February of 2013, and Las Vegas '''gave a 97% approval rating, but added guidelines that the NLF had to follow, such as naming the team the Las Vegas Aces, stadium funding, and starting in Division II, sent by Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, making them the only team in NLF history to ever do so. To say the league Board of Directors was surprised is a''' huge understatement. Shocked''' seems to fit better. Tading later said he was ready to pull the plug on the Las Vegas idea altogether, until he recieved a strange letter in his personal mailbox on February 27, 2013. The letter, he described to be a heartwarming piece, said to be sent by a 10-year old Las Vegas native, asking him to give Las Vegas a chance to change their bad image. What touched him most, he said of the letter, was the personal message for Tading, wishing him the best of luck in getting the league to succeed. That, he said, allowed him to give the city of Las Vegas a fair consideration, with due research. On March 13, 2013, Tading announced he and the BFL Board of Directors accepted the city's conditions. Later that day, Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman called a press conference in response to Tading's acceptance of the poll's stipulations. She announced the city, during the deliberation period, voted to use $900M in city funding to build the team's stadium. Only a year later, in early April 2014, MGM Grand Arena was completed. The amazing part, was the NLF was only asked to give Vegas the funds to pay for the roof, $750,000. In May of 2015, the Aces played their very first game vs the Georgia Force, who they lost to 23-9. Las Vegas finished 4-11 in 2015, and were bumped to Division III. A year later, Vegas found their way into the playoffs at 7-7-1, and beat the Pittsburgh Armour 28-17 to advance back into Division II. In 2017, Las Vegas hired HC E.J. Griffin, and drafted OLB Joey Porter out of Colorado State to compliment an already established star in team veteran and *C*, LB David Rodman. In 2017, Las Vegas started the season at 5-0, but somehow ended the season at 6-9. Griffin blamed a lack of chemistry was to blame for the team's collapse. Following the season, Vegas fired Griffin, and released LB David Rodman amidst a personal investigation. BUt, Rodman refused to just go away. He blamed the Aces organization for their collapse in 2017, and said they were to blame for his decline. Rodman was under investigation by the NLF for two DUI sustained between Weeks 4-6 of the 2016 season, an alleged assault against an ex-teammate in 2016, as well as his worse possible offense, an allegation that he threw the team's Weeks 8 and 9 games. In a public trial the following month, Rodman was found guilty of two accounts of driving under the influence of alcohol, which landed him a month in jail. However, he was also found guilty of throwing a week 8 and 9 game, as well as illegal gambling on five different accounts. In a shocking ruling, Rodman was banned from the NLF forever, and sentenced another three years in jail. Following the trial, Vegas hired HC Jerome Powers, former OC for the BFL's Los Angeles Raiders. In 2018 and 2019, Vegas went 8-22 over the two seasons, and fell from Division II, all the way to Division IV heading into 2020. That year, the team hired Randall Payne as HC, and drafted RB Kelvin Diggs from Miami. That year, Vegas finishd 9-6. but lost to Honululu in the Semi-Finals. In 2021, Payne drafted DE Adrian Small from TCU, and thanks to The BFL-NLF Agreement, drafted DT Shaun Nua in the Expansion Draft. Vegas finished 2021 at 11-4, and blew out St. Louis 31-3 to earn their way into Division III. In 2022, can Las Vegas beat out Virginia Beach, Seattle, and Honululu to win Division III? Joey Porter, OLB For LB Joey Porter, making headlines is nothing new. Unfortunately, it also became a red flag for him entering the 2017 Draft, which nearly pushed the 2-time NCAA Defensive Player of the Year out of the first round, until he was drafted by the Las Vegas Aces with the 11th pick. In 2017, he worked in unison with veteran captain, ILB David Rodman. But Rodman, amidst controversy, was cut after the season. From then on, Joey Porter has been the leader of the Las Vegas Aces. Thanks to Porter, from 2018-2021, Vegas didn't rank outside the Top 5 in defense. However, Porter has seen some pretty bad offensive play in the past few seasons, which is the main reason Vegas slipped to Division IV by 2020. But when HC Randall Payne was hired in 2020, Vegas' offense was held accountable for their flops in the last few years, and was gradually improved over time. By 2021, Vegas' offnse could survive vs Porter's D in practice, which meant they could win Division IV. And they did. Now entering 2022, Porter looks to "bring the noise" to the contenders on Division III. Can the underdog Vegas D beat out three contenders in one year, and win the NLF's most competitive division?